Help With That Golf Slice

This is possibly the most asked question related to the full golf swing. From my experience, significantly more amateur golfers struggle with a slice than a draw or hook. And many times it comes from a couple of basic problems. And they are fairly easy to correct

The two most basic problems that cause slices with higher handicappers are the swing path and the clubface being open at contact. Without going into too much technical jargon about why this is, let’s keep it simple and talk about how to correct these faults.
The single biggest problem that amateurs have in regards to a slice is what is called the “over the top” move. This causes the outside to inside swing path and a resulting slice. This is probably the reason for a slice in your golf swing.
The real culprit is your right arm (if you are right handed). In this over the top move, the right arm ends up farther away from the body in the downswing and the swing path of the club is then “outside” the golf ball.
The correct swing path to avoid a slice (and encourage a draw) is inside to out. This means that the club approaches the golf ball from a point that is right next to your body rather than away from the body. If your ball starts out to the left and then slices strong back to the right, you most likely have this problem.
There is a very simple way to correct this. The easiest way to correct this is to get your right arm and elbow (if you are right handed) coming down close to your side during your downswing. This gets the club approaching the golf ball on the right path.
I don’t recommend many swing trainers, but there is one that is very close to “magic” for correcting this problem. It is the Kallassy Swing Magic Training Aid. I am not saying to buy this to cure your slice; I don’t want you to feel compelled to have to spend any more money. But many of my readers have asked if there is a tool that would help.
But you can cure the slice without it. So here is a simple drill that will help you get rid of this annoying habit: Practice this initially with a 7 iron and no golf ball.
When you start your downswing, imagine that you are pulling a rope with your right hand all the way to your right side. Visualize your hand and the rope coming completely down to the right side of your body.
Swing the 7 iron while “pulling the rope” to your side. Do this repeatedly without a golf ball until you feel the shaft almost brush your right side. Remember to use a slow, smooth tempo
Now add a golf ball and hit the ball. If you are doing this correctly with a 7 iron you can look at your divot and tell if it is working. The direction of the divot should be straight or maybe even slightly right to left. If it is right to left, you need to practice again without the golf ball.
This one drill can straighten out your shots. Now you may end up with a slight fade to your shot, but that isn’t all bad. But the ball should start out straight and fade just a little, but no more slice.
Now for the second problem with slicing, the open club face. If after doing the above drill, your ball starts out straight, but still fades a little too strongly to the right, then your club face is probably open.
To get the club face square or even slightly closed at impact rather than open, you have to have the correct rotation of your hands and forearms. Not real difficult but it takes just a little practice
Here is a quick little drill that will give you a feel for how this should work. Take your golf club and make practice swings with your right arm only. Take a full swing and finish it completely. The momentum and weight of the golf club will almost force your right hand and forearm to rotate over as you come through and finish the swing. This is the rotation you want.
Do this several times until your feel the rotation and it feels natural. Now swing the club with two hands and make sure that your swing all the way through and finish the follow through to finish high over your left shoulder. You should feel the same rotation with your right hand and forearm as before.
One quick note on this. If you feel the rotation on the one armed swing, but not as much on the two armed, think as if you were “throwing” the club down the target line as your swing through the golf ball. Then go back and practice the one armed swing a few times before coming back to the two armed swing with this mental focus.
These two elements are two of the major enemies that cause a slice. These two steps will help end that slice, make your shots fly straighter and, by default, go farther.